This research is aimed at the development of an ultra low absorbance kinetic photometer. A key problem in making low absorbance measurements is the random noise generated in various system components such as photodetectors, and by environmental effects such as airborne contamination and schlieren effects. The proposed instrument will rely on wavelength modulation techniques to reduce the impact of these error sources. The design goal is to develop an instrument that will accurately measure kinetic absorbance changes as low as one microabsorbance unit per second within 100 seconds. This would represent a major improvement over existing instruments.
